After Americaâ€™s victory in the War of 1812, the republic acquired a new leader who furthered the peopleâ€™s growing sense of nationalism. This leader, Andrew Jackson, claimed to be the president of the common man and showed his love for America by doing everything in his power to keep the Union together. Although his political decisions were often highly controversial, Jackson continuously promoted nationalism by supporting the general public, ensuring Americaâ€™s welfare, and devoting himself to Americaâ€™s interests. .
A primary example of Jacksonâ€™s concern for the American people and therefore his patriotic nature is his decision not to renew the charter of the National Bank. As spoken about in Document 9.2, Jackson opposed the bank because he believed it benefited foreign powers and the upper class instead of the general public. (Doc. 9.2) Jackson was weary of the idea that a group who did not posses Americaâ€™s interests at heart could have such a large amount of control over the nationâ€™s economy. Document 9.2 also describes Jacksonâ€™s fear that America could be in grave danger if the county was forced into a war with the foreign powers that controlled its bank. (Doc. 9.2) The idea of excluding foreign influence in a country is a purely nationalistic goal that Jackson strived to achieve by eliminating the bank. Finally, Jacksonâ€™s opposition to the bank strengthened American nationalism by promoting the concept that government should be focused on the normal American citizen, thereby creating a sense of pride in their government among the nationâ€™s men. .
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The people of the â€œAge of Jacksonâ€ also possessed pride in their government and ultimately in the nation because of their increased role in the political process. Jackson was elected president by a popular vote in every state except for two. According to Document 9.